Here's Where the Story Ends
by Miss Becky
Summary: 300 years in the future, the time for shanshu has come. But who will receive the reward?


Here's Where the Story Ends  
  
By Miss Becky  
  
Disclaimer: Spike and Angel are not mine. Too bad, because boy, could I have some fun with them if they were.  
  
Summary: 300 years in the future, the time for Angel's shanshu has come. But now Spike has a soul, too. Kinda throws a big wrench in the works, doesn't it?  
  
Spoilers: Mild ones for BtVS end of S6 and beginning of S7.  
  
Note: The title of this story is the name of a song by The Sundays. It has nothing to do with my story. I just liked it.  
  
Feedback: Is always welcomed. Review or write me at beckyg19@yahoo.com  
  
See author's note at the end.  
  
****  
  
"We must say, this is all very strange. We never expected anything like it."  
  
The final battle had been fought, and they had won. They were standing on a hilltop over what was left of the city. The two vampires glanced at each other, but said nothing.  
  
The Powers That Be had no corporeal bodies, so for this meeting they had chosen to take the form of two humans, a male and a female. Both were astoundingly beautiful, or might have been, but for the unfortunate mauve tint to their skin.  
  
"In all honesty, we must admit we do not know how to proceed."  
  
Angel folded his arms, but held his peace.  
  
Spike cocked an eyebrow and wished for a cigarette.  
  
"The prophecy was very clear. It was a painstaking process, involving several centuries of work. There was no room for misinterpretation."  
  
"The vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will become human," said the male.  
  
"Look, are you going to make one of us human or not?" asked Spike. "Some of us have more important things to be doing."  
  
The Powers exchanged a glance.  
  
Angel cleared his throat. "Are you saying that you don't know which one of us gets to become human?"  
  
The female frowned. "It is not that easy."  
  
"Right." Spike glared at her. "I'll make it easy for you, then. We did everything we were asked to. Saved the bloody world and all that. Again. So why not just give us both this reward?"  
  
"Because only one can achieve this destiny," said the male.  
  
Angel looked at the Powers. "Who?" he asked.  
  
The Powers looked at each other, then turned to face the vampires. "The choice has been left to us," the female said. "We must decide now."  
  
Spike threw up his hands. "Oh bloody hell," he groaned. "Might have seen that one coming."  
  
Right then. He would make it easy for everyone involved. "I don't want it," he said, tossing out the words with a fair approximation of his old bravado. "Give it to Angel. He had his soul first."  
  
The male Power surveyed him emotionlessly. "Yet Angel received his soul as a punishment. You sought yours out. Quite a curious thing for a vampire to do."  
  
Spike shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, so?"  
  
"You would give up your chance to become human again?"  
  
"Time was, I would have done anything to be human. But it doesn't matter much now, does it? Without her in the world."  
  
Angel flinched, but said nothing.  
  
"The Slayer you speak of has been dead for over two hundred fifty years. She is not important right now."  
  
"Not important?" Spike fixed the female Power with his coldest stare. "You don't know a damn thing about anything, do you? Sitting up there, all high and mighty, not even caring enough to save the best damn warrior you ever had." He was shouting by now. "She died for you and your bloody cause, and now you expect me to care whether or not I get to become human?"  
  
He shook his head. "I don't want anything you have to give," he said. "Give it to Angel. He's been expectin' it all this time. It's only fair."  
  
"This isn't right," Angel said. Long ago he had argued with the Powers and their agents about everything. He had fought them for the sake of his friends. Old habits died hard, it seemed. "We've both battled long and hard for good. We deserve better than this."  
  
"The prophecy was very clear," said the male Power. "Only one can receive the reward. It is not our mistake to fix."  
  
"Fine." Spike strode forward. "I'm the one that mucked it all up. Just give Angel his damn shanshu and let me out of here. It's gonna be sunrise soon, in case you hadn't noticed."  
  
The two Powers looked at each other, and in the faraway look in their eyes, it was clear they were communicating with each other on a level the vampires did not have access to.  
  
Angel took advantage of this opportunity, the last one he might have. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice.  
  
"For what?" scoffed Spike. "Wasn't I always raining on your parade? Nothing new here, you know."  
  
"No, not for that," Angel said, although he had to admit that things would be a lot less complicated if he was the only vampire with a soul. "For making you what you are. If I hadn't turned Drusilla, none of this-"  
  
"Don't apologize!" Spike snapped. "I had some of the best moments of my life as a vamp." He stared musingly at his grand-sire. "Come to think of it, I probably got the better deal. Once I got over that whole insanity bit, at least I got to be happy once in a while, and still keep my soul. 'S'more than you got." He shrugged. "So you deserve this."  
  
"You won't get to see her. When you die you'll go to hell. She's in heaven."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I helped put her there, remember? Couldn't save her."  
  
"You did everything you could."  
  
"Would you just shut up and shanshu already?"  
  
The Powers had finished their discussion, and now they turned to face the two vampires. "We have spoken," they said unnecessarily, and Spike rolled his eyes.  
  
Angel took a half-step forward, readying himself for whatever was about to happen.  
  
"Both of you achieved much good with your souls. And there are many factors to consider."  
  
"Liam, you received your soul as a punishment. You did not want it, you did not ask for it. But once you had it, you worked hard to see that you did the right thing. You fought selflessly on the side of Good for hundreds of years, even before you learned there might be a reward for you."  
  
The male took up the story. "Your soul was a burden to you. With it, you could not allow yourself true happiness, and you built your life around this tenet. You were forced to deny yourself time and again, always in the hope that one day you would atone for the things you had done as a demon."  
  
They turned their attention to Spike.  
  
"William, you went seeking for your soul, with no thought of heavenly reward. Your only desire was to be loved, a noble idea even we distant Powers can commend." The female cast a faintly snide glance at the blonde vampire. "You had already done good in the world, before receiving your soul, which set you on the path to redemption long before you realized it."  
  
The male added, "Your soul was not dependent on a curse, or any other magic. With it you could be happy, yet you denied yourself this chance. Instead you served the Slayer and the side of Good, even after she had gone."  
  
The Powers gazed at the two vampires. "We have chosen."  
  
Angel made one last try. "You're not going to tell us who it is, are you?"  
  
"The time of destiny has come," said the male power. He raised his hands.  
  
"Didn't think so," Angel muttered.  
  
"It was a nice try," Spike said.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The male power threw back his head. "So it was written. So it shall be."  
  
White light filled the world, and in it was the sound of a child's laughter, the smell of fresh bread, the flash of early morning sun on a glass window.  
  
The light faded, and the Powers were gone. Only two figures were left on top of the hill. Both had fallen to their knees under the weight of the light. In the east, an ominous line of orange had begun to peer over the horizon.  
  
"You all right?"  
  
"I will be."  
  
"I can hear your heart beating."  
  
There was a pause. Then, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"It'll be sunrise soon. We better get down from here."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Supporting each other, the man and vampire stumbled from the hilltop, back into the ruins of Sunnydale.  
  
Back to fight the good fight.  
  
****  
  
END  
  
Author's Note: So I got to thinking about this the other day, and I really really wonder how Joss and Co. are going to handle this issue. Surely they won't ignore it. Who else wants to see Wesley tell Angel, "Hey, first I screwed up the translation of this prophecy, and now it might not even be about you. Sorry about your luck."  
  
Anyway, so I wrote this story. And, all right, I admit it. When it came down to it, I just couldn't decide who got to be human. At least this way it can end however you want it, and everyone goes home happy.  
  
Well, except for one poor vamp, that is. 


End file.
